Saturday, June 30, 2012

One Year in Boston

Can you believe it??? How crazy is it to know I've been in Boston for a whole year? Yesterday marked my one year anniversary as a 'newly-minted Bostonian' and I can't believe how the time has just flown by. I've been able to do so much in the past year - start a new job, make new friends, try new foods, visit new places - I can't imagine what my life would be like if I was anywhere but here.

Highlights of this past year:

  • Road trip with Dad :)
  • Moving to Beantown
  • Starting work at ConnectEDU
  • Finding the culinary joys of L'espalier, Avana Sushi, Diesel Cafe, Ess-A-Bagel, Cafe Sabarsky, Drink, Friendly Toast, Koreana, Sam La Grassa's, and others
  • Getting my MFA membership and going whenever I like
  • Meeting SO MANY wonderful new people
  • Discovering the 'secret road' to walk from Porter to Davis that's just a beautiful neighborhood to look at and be in
  • Getting an iPhone and all the wonders (and apps) that come with it
  • Trips to NYC, Montreal, and Rhode Island
  • Finding a church (Aletheia - finally!)
  • Getting a 2 hour massage
  • Going home to see my family at Christmas and my sister's graduation (and Mom, Madeline, and Benjamin coming up to see me)
  • Walking all over Boston
  • Riding a Hubway bike
  • Going to my first block party
  • Learning how to make new foods like dumplings and sushi
  • Going to a city-wide pillow fight
  • My first Boston winter not being that bad
  • Many many other crazy awesome adventures :)
Ok, now on to this week's photos:



Does anyone else think it's horribly wrong to be put on hold for 20 minutes???? The only reason I put up with it was because a) I was killing time anyway and b) it was the weekend and wasn't counting towards my minutes. This is just ridiculous...


New (old) favorite summer treat (remembered from childhood) - berries and evaporated milk with sugar sprinkled on top...mmmmmm


This week I made my own BBQ in the crock pot - turned out pretty good! I had a big pork butt and cooked it in ketchup, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar


Pretty daisies on my walk home from work


On Tuesday I had my friend Lexi over for dinner and we made homemade pizza - it was delicious!


Lunch - BBQ and cornbread casserole


You caught me! I got a cookies 'n' cream milkshake from the 4th floor of my office building


Can you spot him?


This little guy shows up sporadically - it always makes me smile to see him (Roger, the albino squirrel) 


My office building had an ice cream and candy social!!!!


Toppings for the ice cream


The candy bar


Waaaaaaaaaaaay too much sugar


Haven't seen this since I moved up


Even flavored waters


And Italian ices - they went all out!


V's ice cream looked prettier than mine


Look - Vanessa has a rock candy body! ;-)


The office isn't too shabby :) 


I am SO STOKED to be getting new roommates...we have pretty hilarious text convos, including this one (I can already tell we're gonna have an awesome year)


I love buildings...I love nature and green stuff too, but nothing makes me happier than seeing a bunch of beautiful buildings


SO PUMPED - I decided to cancel my membership for my office gym and try out Boston Sports Club - maybe now I'll actually go more than once a month


My scarf from Anthropologie finally came!!!! I've been waiting for weeks - it's beautiful!


It's Boat Week in Boston, which means battleships from different countries are coming into the harbor (can you see it?)


It's becoming a problem....I can't get enough of Life Alive - so healthy and SO GOOD


The church I go to is held in the YMCA at Central Square - it needs some major revamping, so we're giving it a makeover!


So much work to do


Peeling off tiles...


...and scrubbing down walls... I had fun doing it and got to meet some more people from Aletheia!


And when we got outside....there was a block party going down! 


This made me laugh pretty hard...there's a Dane Cook sketch that Sheila (college roommate) and I used to joke about where he talks about going out and dancing...one of the lines (as he mimics girls) is "let's just stand in a circle around our shoes and our pocketbooks and let's just dance," so when I saw this pile of bags and purses and the whole group standing in a circle around them, I had to snap a photo 


Having a blasty-blast


Part of the team that helped clean the Y on Friday night - we had an awesome time doing it and then heading out and dancing!



A scene from the block party - it was pretty epic

With all the things that have happened this year, I really don't see how year 2 can top it....but here's to hoping!

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Monday Musings with Manny, Volume 6


So....I'm working from home today and haven't had a chance to get a Manny shot in quite some time, so this will just have to do (I have mad skillz in the Microsoft paint department, huh?)

This week from Mr. Manny:

Manny (on phone): Hello? Hello? Huh…hello? Oh hey! I had myself on mute and I was talking to myself…
Emily (to myself): how many times does that happen a week….

-and-

Manny: Marya! Marya! Come here!
(Marya walks over)
Manny: Oh, I thought you were wearing a romper today. I was talking with the accounting ladies about it because I saw a lady outside the office wearing one and I thought it was the ugliest outfit I’ve ever seen – are you wearing shorts? Or are you wearing a sundress? Make up your mind! And they’re so expensive! $99 for a romper! No, $89 for a romper – the leopard print one was $99. 

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Hot hot summer

Just last week it was nice...a little nippy...chilly even... This week it's like someone decided to bake cookies on the sidewalk and had to have a temperature to match. It's been ROASTING...

Ok, on to what I've been up to...


I LOVE to cook. This is super simple - sauteed garlic, cherry tomatoes, and chicken over angel hair pasta


Mom came to visit me and we found an Asian grocery store in Porter Square...I had no idea what half of it was...


????


To go with the dried crabs I got in Chinatown in NYC...


Dad - THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! (You guys have no idea how hard it is to find a good cast iron skillet and Dad sent me one *pre-seasoned*) I can't wait to eat my spaghetti sauce :) And I have more of Mom's jam.....I'm so lucky!


So for any of you who are Facebook friends, you may have seen my status bemoaning the lack of southern food on Seamless ('biscuits' search result = 0, 'fried chicken' search result = 0)...but Mom made me my very own homemade biscuits!


Don't they look AMAZING???


That's the way we do it in the south - biscuits, gravy (with mustard on top), eggs, and bacon - mmmmmmmmmmm


Love you Mom!!!!!


Loved the look of this cute little shop


We stumbled upon this little gem on an evening walk...Life Alive!


Freshly made juices


"The Emperor" - SO GOOD


Hmmmm....what's this I'm drinking?


A little too healthy for me....(only for you Mom)


Onward and upward with the health kick - let's make a smoothie!


I've never had fresh papaya before - the seeds were kinda gross


Mmmmmmmmmmmm


Prep work


Strawberries, papaya, spinach, honey, and almond milk


Mom made me my favorite cake too


IT'S SO GOOD!!!!!!


Had to go back to Life Alive - this time for "The Goddess" with avocado and egg


I forgot what Mom got, but it was good too


First ever wheatgrass shot....really grassy (and 1 oz = 1 lb of greens)


I showed Mom the wonder that is Diesel Cafe...and she's hooked!


Back in the office - time for some tea :)


And now, folks, we come to the highlight of my week - my first Polegression class! I'm always looking for fun and interesting ways to work out (cause I get bored so easily) and let me tell you...this is the first time I've actually had fun while working out! 


Here we goooooooooooooo


You learn to do everything on the floor first before doing anything on the pole (and I have no upper body strength, so it'll be awhile before that happens)


Making progress on my first day! I discovered muscles I had no idea I had...this is a legitimate workout that I recommend everyone (guys and gals alike) try!


On my walk to work - love it :)


Awwwww - look what Vanessa brought back for me from Vegas! (and it's a good thing too - I didn't have a key ring haha)


Dinner with the upcoming roomies...over apps we were discussing our religious backgrounds when James asked what I was. I said I was raised Episcopalian and Han goes "oh, the ones that only eat fish" and James goes "no dummy, those are pescatarians." I can already tell I'm gonna love living with these guys :)


Apps


Tasty pasta


Today, James really wanted to go shopping...


So Han and I came along for the ride...


I haven't been to Cheesecake Factory since my 23rd birthday...gotta get those Avocado Eggrolls...


...and my pasta....


...and cheesecake... (don't worry! I shared with the guys)


Seriously considered getting these shoes to go with my purse...but ended up getting a dress on sale for $20 from GAP!

So I'm hoping that this week I'll be able to post a Monday Musings with Manny - he's said some crazy stuff this week!!!
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